Thrills galore at York concert

York Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alan Hacker, at Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall

YORK Symphony Orchestra presented an ambitious and attractive concert on Saturday night at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall.

Following Sam Goldwyn’s dictim of “start with a volcano erupting and work up to a climax” they began with the Gershwin’s thrilling Rhapsody in Blue and finished with Peter Maxwell Davies’ manic An Orkney Wedding with Sunrise. We were also treated to Vaughan Williams’ Greensleeves and a sizeable chunk of Grieg’s incidental music for Peer Gynt.

The soloist in Rhapsody in Blue was the versatile and respected Josephine Peach who gave a vigorous and idiosyncratic reading of this jazzy work. A very strong brass section save a rich depth to the large orchestra under the sensitive control of Alan Hacker.

Greensleeves was a perfect choice for a pleasant summer evening. After a gentle opening, the violas and cellos brought the piece to life at the Lovely Joan counter-melody.

The Grieg opened with an unexpected coup de concert-hall as Leader Claire Jowett appeared from behind the audience playing the wedding music before joining the other players for the lively meeting of Peer and Solvieg.

The Hall of the Mountain King was goodhumouredly exciting, but the orchestra really showed their talent in the final section, with a pacy and almost racy Arabian Dance and a moving Solvieg’s Song.

An Orkney Wedding is surely Maxwell-Davies’ most popular work, with its surprise appearance by a kilted piper at the end. It was a cheerful finale to a fine concert.

Charles Hunt